Improvement in ditching-machines



' B. TOBIAS.

Ditching Plow.

No. 35,403. Patented May 27, 1862.

AM. PHOTO-LITHO. 60. NY. (OSBORN E'S PROCESS.)

UNITED j STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT- IN DlTC HlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,403, dated May 27, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, BENJAMIN TOBIAs, of Washington, in the county .of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved D'itching-Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had' to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- 1 Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. V

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures,

To enable others skilled in the art to make 'and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

The beam Ais constructed and shaped similar to the beam of. an ordinary plow. It rests in front on a small boardor platform, B, and in the rear (11 a cross-bar, G, the lower surfaces of said board and cross-bar being so arranged that the same slide easily on the ground.

Secured to the beam A by means of the standard D and brace 'E is the shoe F, the depth of the ditch being determined by the depth of the shoe below-the lower surfaces of intended'to divide the dirt into two equal parts.

The sides of the'dit'ch are formed by twoinclined flaringcutters, H, thelower ends of which are secured to the sides of the shoe, while their upper ends are fastened to a cross-bar, I, that is firmly secured to the beam A, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These cutters are flaring from the bottom upward, so that the sides of the ditch become inclined at angles of about sixty degrees, more or less, according to the nature of the soil, and by these cutters the width of the ditch is determined.

Thedirt cut out between the flaring cutters H and. divided in two halves by the central knife G drops upon theinclined planes J, that extend from the shoe up to the cross-bar G, as clearly shown in 'Fig. 1, and which are separated by the flaring wings K. Thesewings spread from one common edge a little ways behind the central knife, G, and through their action, combined with the action of the inclined planes J, the dirt is carried up to the deflecting-plates L, which deposit the same on the sides of the ditch. The operation of the machine is facilitated by a sod-cutter, M, which is secured to the beam A in front of the central knife, G. By this cutter the sod and other Obstructionssuch as small roots or twigs of trees-are divided and a choking of the machine is prevented.

The dirt which is thrown out by the action of the inclined planes J and deflecting plates L is piled up on both sides of the ditch and increases its depth, and the ends of the cross-bar G are rounded off and brought down to a sharp edge, so that the same will readily pass through underthedirtthrown out bytheinclined planes and deflecting-plates, and thatsaid ends do not carryanyof the dirt along with them and back into the ditch.

It is obvious that with little additional expense this machine might be so arranged that it can be set to cut ditches of different depth.

I am awarethat ditching-plows withinclined lifting-edges on each side of the plow have before been used, as in'Hor-ace Glevelands patent, 1842. 1 claim none of the parts presented in said patent; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of thedeflecting-plates L and bar 0 with the inclines J,cutters G H H,

standard D, and shoe F, when the said parts are arranged and operate together as herein shown and described. BENJAMIN TOBIAS.

Witnesses:

THOMAS TAYLOR, D. K. TOBIAS. 

